Holiday Gift Guide 2015: What to Get a Data Geek

Dec 02, 2015

Have you ever shopped for a data analyst? What are you supposed to get someone who lights up over intangibles? While organized data tables, helpful statistical tools and attractive visual dashboards are gifts that keep on giving, they aren’t typically suitable in a shiny box topped with a red bow and placed under a decorative evergreen tree.

Before you run off and buy another gift card for the data geek in your life, let us help you with a few gift ideas, ranking from least expensive to most:

1. The Mist Screen Cleaner

This handy little stocking stuffer is an antibacterial all-in-one microfiber cloth and cleaning spray designed to clean the computer, tablet and smartphone screens that your data scientist just can't keep his hands off. Fits comfortably in a bag or discreetly at a desk for quick screen swipes that take devices from dust and fingerprints to germ- and smudge-free in seconds.

This book will elevate your analyst above the pack by clearly defining how to use big data to achieve solid, real-world results that help him communicate with key decision makers and help his team improve performance. Dive into the five steps of the SMART model: Start with Strategy, Measure Metrics and Data, Apply Analytics, Report Results, Transform.

3. Schloß Dick (Voidlock) - Wooden Lock Puzzle Brain Teaser

Analysts and statisticians are known to be curious, methodical and capable of spotting patterns. Shall we put their unique eyes to the test? Gift this natural wooden puzzle, a sliding lock where over 300 moves need to be followed in order to unlock it.

4. Belkin WeMo Switch

Take the first step to a connected home with these smart switches that offer a simple way to control lighting, electronics and appliances from a smartphone or tablet. Create custom schedules with an Apple or Android device.

5. La Cie Porsche Design Portable External Hard Drive

For those who work in multiple settings – office, home, plane, cafes – this small external hard drive allows you to back up photos, exchange audio and video files and keep important files safe. It offers fast file transfers – a 700 MB video file in under seven seconds.

6. Klipsch Reference R6 Earbud Headphones

Funky beats and focused concentration sound good to a data analyst. And the lightweight, comfortable design of these earbuds will help make long hours crunching data more enjoyable. (Bonus idea: If you’re in the market for wireless, check out LG Tone Ultra Wireless Stereo Headset. $99.99 USD at Best Buy.)

7. MistoBox Gift Coffee Subscription

After first appearing on Shark Tank in 2013 and closing a deal with investor Mark Cuban, the coffee geeks of MistoBox bring curated beans to the doorsteps of your data-minded caffeine connoisseur. There are two gift options – either the gift purchaser personalizes the coffee or the gift recipient does – and the deliveries include customized coffee and a special note.

8. Fitbit Surge Fitness Superwatch

Whether your data geek is working on her fitness or is needing motivation to move away from the computer, this useful activity tracker maximizes fitness training and keeps her in the zone during workouts. Features include tracking on steps, distance, pace, routes, calories burned, heart rate and more, along with a long battery life, sleep monitoring and wireless syncing.

9. SmartMat

Give a platform built for zen with this intelligent yoga mat that helps find your perfect pose. It works in two primary modes – in-home private and in-class assist – and communicates to a smart device via in-mat, high precision sensors that give real-time feedback on your alignment and practice, adjusting you as you go. It’s trained to recognize almost every yoga pose out there and give meaningful feedback.

10. Online Learning and Skills-Gap Training

icrunchdata and Statistics.com have partnered to offer skills-gap training and online education in data science, analytics, statistics and everything Big Data. Whether learning the fundamentals, updating skills, mastering the latest best practices or studying leading edge technologies, your data geek will leverage his professional growth with over 110 online courses and certificate programs. Sure, it doesn’t quite fit in a gift box – so print it out, stick in an envelope and seal with a kiss!

Fees vary. 10% off courses with promo code: icrunchdisc

Perhaps there are more holiday gifts for a data geek than we originally thought. Any other ideas we should consider? Let us know what’s on your wish list.